INDUSTRY
NZSA CEO’s September Report In this update, NZSA CEO Gary Morrison talks Covid-19 Managed Isolation Facilities, New Zealand Security Awards, virtual reality CoA training platform, security career pathway website and more.
Gary Morrison is CEO of the New Zealand Security Association (NZSA). A qualified accountant, Gary originally joined Armourguard Security as a junior accountant and held several roles over two decades prior to appointment as GM for New Zealand and Fiji, after which he established Icon Security Group.
34
NZSM
Similar to many of my associates and colleagues, I take great pride in our industry and the people who work within it. Over the last six months I have observed the industry as a whole, including employers and employees, stand up and deliver essential services to a high standard despite what have been extremely difficult economic and social conditions. My views were further reinforced by the number of quality nominations that we received for the Covid-19 Guardian Awards and the New Zealand Security Awards over recent months. I have found it very difficult and challenging therefore to deal with and respond to the recent negative coverage targeted at the industry in relation to the provision of security services at the Managed Isolation Facilities (MIF’s). There is absolutely no doubt that perceptions and opinions, be it of politicians, the press or the public, are influenced by wider issues and events that are largely inconsequential to the matter at hand. In our situation we faced a backdrop of major shortfalls and deficiencies in the delivery of private security providers in Melbourne. The security model used in Melbourne was however significantly different to that used in New Zealand - in Melbourne all security at the MIFs was delivered by three private security providers using a multitude of subcontractors. Locally, private security makes up approximately 25% of those on site at the MIF’s and
services are delivered by a number of providers rather than subcontractors. Opinion was also influenced by regular press reports of guards being found asleep and working dual roles as uber drivers. The reality is that there was a handful of security staff caught sleeping early in the commencement of services, several of whom were employed by Aviation Security, but allegations of staff working dual roles appear to be unfounded. What also goes unseen and unrecognised are the efforts made by security providers to address any shortfalls and seek continuous improvement, such as implementing 15-minute welfare checks during night hours and implementing new technology to monitor staff locations and welfare. Whilst supporting the efforts of our providers and their staff, I am also aware that there is a need to accept and acknowledge that there is much that the industry needs to do if we are to change existing perceptions and consistently deliver a quality level of service. It is evident that a significant number of private security staff working at the MIF’s are still on their blue ‘temporary’ licenses. Whilst some of these staff will have had delivery of the green “full” licenses delayed by Covid-19 restrictions, the reality is that many will not have completed the mandatory training requirements since commencing employment. This is not acceptable and must be addressed urgently by those security providers concerned.
October/November 2020
